Southwood Fire Department goes "green"

The Southwood Volunteer Fire Department, in the town of Onondaga, is the first fire station in the nation to commit to buying 100 percent "green" energy, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The department, with 26 volunteer firefighters, joined the EPA's Green Power Partnership and has been buying wind- and solar-generated electricity from National Grid since Oct. 6, Chief Glenn Korec said.

In essence, the fire department is buying credits for electricity put onto grid by environmentally sound electrical producers, Korec said. That costs the fire department about an additional penny per kilowatt hour, or about $170 more per year, Korec said.

Korec said the department is excited about "going green" and will be exploring biodiesel engines and energy audits to reduce energy costs.